Rotating containment and repelling boom and method for confining a material floatable on a liquid surface

Abstract

A non-contact floating containment or repelling device used to gather, contain or repel a material such as oil that has been spilled on the surface of a body of water. This device consists of a plurality of paddlewheels serially connected along a shaft secured between distant vessels. This shaft is rotated, thereby rotating the paddlewheels which churn the water, thus repelling the spilled material away from the device and toward a central region. By this arrangement, the device itself never becomes contaminated by the spilled material and is sprayed with the churning water, and therefore, should a fire break out, damage to the device is unlikely.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
       1. A device for the containment or repelling of a material floatable on a liquid surface comprising: a plurality of serially connected rotatable paddlewheels, each said paddlewheel having a central axis and, comprising: a plurality of elongated paddle blades extending around said central axis, said paddle blades extending generally parallel to and spaced about said central axis; and,   means for supporting said paddle blades about said central axis; and,     means for providing buoyancy to said paddlewheels.   
     
     
       2. The device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising drive means extending concentrically with said central axis and passing through and connected to each of said paddlewheels for providing rotational movement to said paddlewheels, whereby said material is repelled from said paddlewheels. 
     
     
       3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said paddle blade is elongated and flexible along its length so as to accommodate any curvature in said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said paddle blades have opposing ends and one end of said blades of one said paddlewheel overlap one of the ends of said paddle blades of an adjacent paddlewheel, thereby forming with said serially connected paddlewheels a continuous barrier along the length of said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       5. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said buoyancy means comprises said paddle blades. 
     
     
       6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade supporting means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart disc members having radially extending and spaced-apart openings therein through which said paddle blades extend. 
     
     
       7. The device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said buoyancy means comprises said disc members. 
     
     
       8. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said buoyancy means further comprises a foam or inflatable cylindrical member through which a shaft centrally passes, said cylindrical member being rotated by said shaft and extending outwardly from said shaft towards said paddle blades. 
     
     
       9. A device for the containment or repelling of a material floatable on a liquid surface comprising: a plurality of serially connected rotatable paddlewheels, each said paddlewheel having a central axis and, comprising: a plurality of elongated paddle blades extending around said central axis; and,   means for supporting said paddle blades about said central axis;     means for providing buoyancy to said paddlewheels; and,   drive means extending concentrically with said central axis and passing through and connected to each of said paddlewheels for providing rotational movement to said paddlewheels, whereby said material is repelled from said paddlewheels.   
     
     
       10. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said blade supporting means is fixedly mounted to said drive means. 
     
     
       11. The device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said drive means includes an elongated shaft having spaced fittings attached thereto for securing said blade supporting means thereto. 
     
     
       12. The device as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a joint positioned along the length of said shaft for independent rotation of said shaft on either side of said joint. 
     
     
       13. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said drive means further includes a plurality of motors provided by separate vessels, said shaft having opposing ends which are secured to and rotated by at least one of said motors provided by each of said vessels. 
     
     
       14. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein each said paddle blade is elongated and flexible along its length so as to accommodate any curvature in said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       15. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the ends of said paddle blades of one said paddlewheel overlap the ends of said paddle blades of an adjacent paddlewheel, thereby forming with said serially connected paddlewheels a continuous barrier along the length of said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       16. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said buoyancy means comprises said paddle blades. 
     
     
       17. The device as set forth in claim 16, wherein said buoyancy means further comprises a foam or inflatable cylindrical member through which a said shaft centrally passes, said cylindrical member being rotated by said shaft and extending outwardly from said shaft towards said paddle blades. 
     
     
       18. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said blade supporting means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart disc members having radially extending and spaced-apart openings therein through which said paddle blades extend. 
     
     
       19. The device as set forth in claim 18, wherein said buoyancy means comprises said disc members. 
     
     
       20. A containment device for the non-contact confinement or repelling of a material floatable on a liquid surface comprising: a plurality of serially connected paddlewheels, each said paddlewheel having a central axis and comprising: a plurality of elongated paddle blades extending around said central axis; and,   means for supporting said paddle blades about said central axis;   means for providing buoyancy to said paddlewheels; and,     drive means extending concentrically with said central axis and passing through and connected to said support means of each of said paddlewheels for providing rotational movement to said paddlewheels, whereby said material is repelled from said paddlewheels.   
     
     
       21. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said paddle blades extend generally parallel to and spaced about said central axis. 
     
     
       22. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein each said paddle blade is flexible along its length so as to accommodate any curvature in said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       23. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said paddle blades have opposing ends and one end of said blades of one said paddlewheel overlap one of the ends of said paddle blades of an adjacent paddlewheel, thereby forming with said serially connected paddlewheels a continuous barrier along the length of said serially connected paddlewheels. 
     
     
       24. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said buoyancy means comprises each of said paddle blades. 
     
     
       25. The device as set forth in claim 24, wherein said buoyancy means further comprises a foam or inflatable cylindrical member through which a shaft centrally passes, said cylindrical member being rotated by said shaft and extending outwardly from said shaft to said paddle blades. 
     
     
       26. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said blade supporting means comprises a plurality of spaced-apart disc members having radially extending and spaced-apart openings therein through which said paddle blades transversely extend. 
     
     
       27. The device as set forth in claim 26, wherein said disc members are inflatable. 
     
     
       28. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said drive means includes an elongated shaft having spaced fittings attached thereto for securing said blade supporting means thereto. 
     
     
       29. A non-contact method of confining a material floatable on a liquid surface by a floating containment boom comprising the steps of: surrounding said material with a plurality of serially connected paddlewheels, each said paddlewheel comprising: a plurality of elongated paddle blades extending generally parallel to and spaced-apart from a central axis; and,   means for supporting said paddle blades about said central axis;     extending a shaft concentrically with said central axis and passing said shaft through each said paddlewheel;   securing each said paddlewheel to said shaft; and,   rotating said shaft about said central axis, whereby upon the rotation of said shaft, said paddlewheels are rotated about said central axis to force said liquid surface to repel said material from said boom.   
     
     
       30. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein said paddle blades are formed of an elongated flexible material so as to accommodate any curvature in said boom. 
     
     
       31. The method as set forth in claim 30, further comprising the step of overlapping the ends of said paddle blades of one said paddlewheel with the ends of said paddle blades of an adjacent said paddlewheel thereby forming with said serially connected paddlewheels a continuous barrier along the length of the boom. 
     
     
       32. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein said paddle blades include at least one inflatable air chamber therein. 
     
     
       33. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein said blade supporting means comprise a plurality of spaced-apart disc members having radially extending and spaced-apart openings therein through which said paddle blades extend. 
     
     
       34. The method as set forth in claim 33, wherein said disc members are inflatable or foam. 
     
     
       35. The method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said blade supporting means are fixedly mounted to said shaft. 
     
     
       36. The method as set forth in claim 33, further comprising the step of securing said disc members to said shaft, whereby upon the rotation of said shaft, said serially arranged paddlewheels rotate in unison.